Nader supports New Paltz mayor

New Paltz — Ralph Nader doesn't do it for everyone but he did it for Jason West last night — he stopped by the village to give the Green Party mayor of New Paltz his political blessing.

West, who is running for a second four-year term as village mayor, stood by and smiled as Nader praised him for his stands on gay rights, the environment and citizen involvement in the political process.

He was asked if it was unusual for a national political figure to stop by to endorse a candidacy in a 6,000-person village.

"Not at all," he said. "Jason's a national political figure, too." Nader made it plain that he considered West's record as a third party candidate to be important politically. The two-party system, he said, was insular and led to "coronations" of candidates who were in turn beholden to "big business.""But he's gotta have more time — he can't get everything done in one term," he said.

Nader drew a small crowd of West supporters in front of Elting Memorial Library, where West had participated earlier in a debate with his two rivals for office, village Trustee Terry Dungan and write-in candidate Jonathan Cohen.

The street-side endorsement hadn't been publicly announced. A young man in the crowd said he'd written a rap song about Nader and asked if he could perform it. Nader mildly suggested the young man save it and send him the recording.